Abstract/Summary

This paper discusses Roman production and trade of salted fish products focusing on organizational aspects. It argues that the scale of organization in the fishing and fish-salting ‘industry’ during the Roman era was such to allow the capillary diffusion, in favourable coastal areas, of fish-salting establishments, both small and large. The paper suggests that, once political and territorial unity were achieved and proper transport infrastructure were in place, two factors favoured this development: the existence of associations, whether business partnerships (societates) or professional associations (collegia; corpora) and the possibility to use the legal framework with a certain degree of ‘inventiveness’. The former provided the necessary social networks so important in business relations, the start up capital, and the possibility to share profits and losses. The latter allowed—for some individuals at least—protecting their economic interests.